This invention relates to a semiconductor memory card which employs a non-volatile memory as a storage medium.
In recent years, a memory card of a small size which employs a non-volatile memory such as, for example, a flash memory as a storage element has been developed.
Into and from the memory card, various kinds of information can be written and read out using, for example, a drive apparatus for exclusive use or an audio/video apparatus or an information apparatus in which a drive apparatus is incorporated.
Also memory cards capable of storing still image data picked up, for example, by a digital still camera having a built-in drive apparatus or recording computer data, moving picture data, music data, voice data or the like have been developed.
A drive apparatus particularly for such memory cards as described above does not require such a complicated construction as is required for a disk-type recording medium or a tape-type recording medium such as, for example, a rotating or feeding mechanism, a head mechanism and a servo system and besides is superior in terms of the accessibility and the writing/reading speed. The drive apparatus thus allows realization of low cost, low power consumption and miniaturization/reduction in thickness, and consequently, it can be incorporated readily into various apparatus. From such circumstances as described above, a semiconductor memory card is being developed as a very useful storage medium.
Meanwhile, in some of disk media or tape media which have been popularized already, a medium as a disk or a tape is accommodated in a cartridge such as, for example, a mini disk (MD, trademark), a floppy disk, a cassette tape or a DAT (digital audio tape).
In some of such cartridges, a housing is partially transparent or translucent so that the disk or the tape inside can be visually observed.
With a cartridge of the type just described, a user can see an internal structure and visually observe a manner of the tape or the disk, or can enjoy the design.
However, with regard to a semiconductor memory card, since it does not particularly have a dynamic recording medium such as a disk or a tape built therein or from some other circumstances, an opaque card housing is used.
The opaque card housing, however, makes it difficult for common users to recognize the structure of the semiconductor memory card and particularly makes it difficult to understand differences of the semiconductor memory from a disk or a tape as a storage medium. Further, the opaque card housing is sometimes less liable to attract the interest of the user in the design.
On the other hand, as a semiconductor memory card allows realization of recording and reproduction of music or video data, it is required to realize copyright protection such as to prevent illegal copying of data and so forth.
Thus, also a memory card has been proposed wherein a signal processing circuit for authentication processing or encryption processing is incorporated so that predetermined authentication processing or encryption may be performed in order to prevent illegal copying.
However, where a memory card is applied to record speech or video data, copyright protection is not required in some cases. For example, where a memory card is applied to recording of aural speech at a conference or to memorandum recording of its user, copyright protection is not required. Accordingly, in such an instance as just described, preferably a memory card which does not incorporate a signal processing circuit for copyright protection is used.
From such a situation as described above, two types of semiconductor memory cards are available including a semiconductor memory card wherein a signal processing circuit for copyright protection processing is accommodated in a card housing and the other semiconductor memory card wherein such a signal processing circuit as mentioned above is not accommodated in a card housing. Thus, it is the existing state of things that, for example, a recording and reproduction apparatus ready for a memory card allows loading of both of the two types of semiconductor memory cards.
In such a situation as just described, a user must selectively use the memory cards in accordance with an object of use. However, the two kinds of memory cards which are same or substantially same in outer profile and size in order to keep the compatibility cannot be identified readily from each other and cannot be selectively used well by the user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor memory card which realizes attraction of the interest of a user to the design and allows visual observation of an internal structure thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor memory card which augments identification of the type thereof by a user where two different types of semiconductor memory cards are available.
In order to attain the objects described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor memory card, comprising a card housing, and a circuit board arranged in the card housing and having a non-volatile memory mounted thereon, the card housing being entirely or partially transparent or translucent. From a circumstance regarding the design or the function, the card housing may be partially opaque.
The transparent or translucent portion of the card housing may be colored.
With the semiconductor memory card, since the card housing is entirely or partially transparent or translucent and the circuit board, memory chip and so on arranged in the card housing can be visually observed from the outside of the card housing through the card housing, semiconductor memory cards which are various and interesting in design can be provided advantageously. Further, since the internal construction of the semiconductor memory card can be visually observed from the outside of the card housing, the user can recognize that a semiconductor memory card is quite different from a disk medium or a tape medium and can augment the understanding thereof regarding the semiconductor memory card, and consequently, the user can deeply understand advantages, various forms of use, handling and so forth of the memory card.
Where the card housing is partially opaque, the diversity in design can be expanded.
Further, where the transparent or translucent portion of the card housing is colored, augmentation in visual interest and diversity in design can be further increased, and putting of memory cards in order or selective use of memory cards is facilitated.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there are provided semiconductor memory cards one of which is a first semiconductor memory card including a card housing and signal processing means arranged in the card housing for performing processing for copyright protection and the other one of which is a second semiconductor memory card including a card housing in which signal processing means for performing processing for copyright protection is not arranged, the card housing of the semiconductor memory card being entirely or partially translucent where the semiconductor memory card is one of the first and second semiconductor memory cards whereas the card housing of the semiconductor memory card is entirely or partially opaque where the semiconductor memory card is the other of the first and second semiconductor memory cards. Alternatively, the card housing of the semiconductor memory card may be entirely or partially transparent where the semiconductor memory card is one of the first and second semiconductor memory cards whereas the card housing of the semiconductor memory card is entirely or partially translucent where the semiconductor memory card is the other of the first and second semiconductor memory cards. Further alternatively, the card housing of the semiconductor memory card may be entirely or partially transparent where the semiconductor memory card is one of the first and second semiconductor memory cards whereas the card housing of the semiconductor memory card is entirely or partially opaque where the semiconductor memory card is the other of the first and second semiconductor memory cards.
In short, the card housings are made different between different ones of transparent, translucent and opaque card housings so that, when a memory card is given, it can be discriminated which one of the first and second semiconductor memory cards the memory card is.
Consequently, when a memory card is given, the user can discriminate at a glance whether the memory card is the first semiconductor memory card or the second semiconductor memory card depending upon whether the card housing of the memory card is transparent, translucent or opaque. Accordingly, the user can selectively use a semiconductor memory card appropriately in accordance with an application of the memory card or the type of a recording and/or reproduction apparatus.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements denoted by like reference symbols.